{"product_id":"the-coast-road-a-novel-isbn-9780063336568","title":"The Coast Road: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the Irish Book Awards Newcomer of the Year 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the John McGahern Annual Book Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA poignant debut novel about the lives of women in a claustrophobic coast town and the search for independence in a society that seeks to limit it.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Murrin powerfully renders the ways that women’s freedom, individuality, and self-expression are stifled by religion, custom, and gossip.”—\u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A painful, gorgeous debut.”—\u003cem\u003eElle\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet in 1994\u003cem\u003e, The Coast Road\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of two women—Izzy Keaveney, a housewife, and Colette Crowley, a poet. Colette has left her husband and sons for a married man in Dublin. When she returns to her home in County Donegal to try to pick up the pieces of her old life, her husband, Shaun, a successful businessman, denies her access to her children.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe only way she can see them is with the help of neighbour Izzy, acting as a go-between. Izzy also feels caught in a troubled marriage. The friendship that develops between them will ultimately lead to tragedy for one, and freedom for the other.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAddictive as \u003cem\u003eBig Little Lies\u003c\/em\u003e with a depth and compassion that rivals the works of Claire Keegan, Elizabeth Strout, and Colm Tóibín, \u003cem\u003eThe Coast Road\u003c\/em\u003e is a story about the limits placed on women’s lives in Ireland only a generation ago, and the consequences women have suffered trying to gain independence. Award-winning Irish author Alan Murrin reminds us of the price we are forced to pay to find freedom.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"The townsfolk all gossip, but nobody’s marriage is above reproach in this claustrophobic, multi-POV drama dissecting the relationship and family woes of the town and the vicious conclusions they lead to.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGood Housekeeping (Best of 2024, Best St. Patrick's Day Reading)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I loved this novel. All the female characters are complex and fascinating, and full of anger and hope. I found it an addictive read.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGillian Anderson, actor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A smashing debut ... Each of the characters is vividly rendered, and Murrin excels at portraying the rippling consequences of small-town gossip and intolerance. This is a marvel.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Murrin powerfully renders the ways that women's freedom, individuality, and self-expression are stifled by religion, custom, and gossip.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A painful, gorgeous debut.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A perfect book club read. . . . This accomplished debut novel explores failing relationships in a small town in 90s Ireland—when divorce was not an option. . . . It is thoughtful, readable and funny, and even occasionally thrilling. . . . If the book club queen Reese Witherspoon relocated to the Irish Republic, this would tick all her boxes. . . . An assured and powerful debut.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Murrin’s novel is immaculately crafted, his characterisation beautifully nuanced. . . . Murrin writes perceptively about love, desire and the limitations placed on women . . . this is a compelling, compassionate page-turner.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Murrin switches with remarkable ease between perspectives, at home in the voice of a bohemian poet as he is a priest or plumber. This fluid narrative style makes for an engrossing read and it’s clear to see why his debut was part of a five-way auction… [Murrin] has written a gripping character-driven novel that is accessible and literary in style.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Irish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Tender, truthful and simmering with rage, Murrin’s lyrical debut delves into troubled marriages on the eve of Ireland’s’ referendum… It’s an emotionally eviscerating tale, told in deceptively calm prose.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Mail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Scandal, hypocrisy and the stigma of divorce make this Irish novel sing… The story is crisply told. Murrin is sceptically yet tenderly observant.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Murrin is at his best when he is dissecting the intricacies of human relationships with the scalpel-wielding precision of a surgeon.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Business Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"With nuanced observations, humour and heartbreak, the novel mirrors the backdrop of the sea, whose ebb and flow belies dangerous currents below the surface.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWomen \u0026amp; Home, Book of the Month\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Murrin writes with a masterful ease and confidence.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Debut Digest\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This story of tragedy and strength casts you into the waves of small-town life.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSainsbury's Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The novel is wonderful on what it means to live in a patriarchal society and the consequences women can suffer for trying to follow their dreams. Compelling.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Daily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Alan Murrin is one of the sharpest new minds on the literary scene. His debut novel . . . [is] a journey of self-discovery and tragedy.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSheerluxe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Impressive….An intriguing addition to the swelling library of contemporary Irish novels—Claire Keegan’s \u003cem\u003eSmall Things Like These\u003c\/em\u003e (2021), Paul Murray’s \u003cem\u003eThe Bee Sting\u003c\/em\u003e (2023) and Colin Barrett’s \u003cem\u003eWild Houses\u003c\/em\u003e (2024) just a few of them—that find stories in the gap between the thronging town and the open countryside.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Murrin . . . brings his lived experiences to the story, and his focus on how two women strove for independence when divorce was still illegal is a moving, vivid story.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTown \u0026amp; Country\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe Coast Road \u003c\/em\u003eis a powerful story and Alan Murrin is an exceptional new talent.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Propelled by a gripping narrative and powerfully drawn characters \u003cem\u003eThe Coast Road\u003c\/em\u003e makes for compulsive reading. Alan Murrin has written a poignant, utterly truthful story of passions prejudice and tragedy in a small town.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGabriel Byrne, actor and author of Walking with Ghosts\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Alan Murrin is a gifted storyteller, his characters so fully realised I fretted for them as I read. A beautiful, accomplished debut.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLouise Kennedy, author of Trespasses\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Alan Murrin writes with the calm, poetic fluency of the best of Irish writers. \u003cem\u003eThe Coast Road\u003c\/em\u003e is set in Donegal the year before divorce became legal in Ireland, and the many themes are equally—sadly—as relevant now. Women's autonomy is beautifully scrutinised in a shifting tempo that moves between rage, forgiveness, and hope. It's a stonkingly good novel. Just read it.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSarah Winman, author of Still Life and Tin Man\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This is an incredibly satisfying novel, told with great tenderness and tremendous storytelling verve. A book to be savoured.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eColin Walsh, author of Kala\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An exceptional debut about marriage and freedom, about love and the ways it can heal and hurt us. A must read for 2024.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSarah Crossan, author of Here Is the Beehive\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"An assured, gripping debut.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJaime Quatro, author of Fire Sermon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"An eerie, urgent debut from an exciting new voice.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNeil Blackmore, author of Radical Love\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\" a sensitive evocation of time, place and feeling. ... A deeply satisfying read, this is a novel whose central characters stay with the reader long after finishing the book and a writer in whose prose one can completely believe.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn McGahern Book Prize Shortlist Committee\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperVia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890896859365,"sku":"NP9780063336568","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063336568.jpg?v=1730234296","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-coast-road-a-novel-isbn-9780063336568","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}